Missing Love (Continued)
by UsuaWolfPup
Summary: This is the continuation of the story originally written by Insanity Runs Through My Veins. Follow Winter as she enters into the world of the Labyrinth, where not all is as it seems. Soulmates, a dying world, rebelling goblins and the return of some old friends... what adventures await our young heroine within this new realm?
1. Intro to Adoption

Hello everyone! This is a continuation of the story originally created by Insanity Runs Through My Veins, who is now under the account Tanner Clark. I very much recommend checking out their stories! The first two chapters are under the first account. This is the link:

s/9847303/1/Missing-Love-DISCONTINUED

Please let me know what you think and feel free to throw out some ideas! I have a guideline from Insanity Runs Through My Veins, but I would love some feedback. Please enjoy Missing Love as it continues through this account with a new writer!

Always,

Usua


	2. Chapter 3

"What is this?" I ran my fingers gently over the tapestry covering the stone wall in the hallway. Jareth stopped a few paces ahead of me, a cool look on his face as he observed the fabric.

"That is one of the many views of my Labyrinth from the tower." He replied, rolling out a small crystal in his hand and beginning to spin it about almost absently. It was as distracting as it was beautiful to watch. The colors reflected in the simple glass ball molded together, creating an enchanting picture within it, a world of promise whispering seductively in my ear. I tore my eyes away, clearing my throat and feeling my face grow hot at the smirk Jareth wore. It suited him, as much as I hated to admit it. This whole 'soulmate' business left me uneasy at best, and the fact that he kept looking at me like I was a long lost princess only made my heart skip more beats than I needed it to while I muddled through this. "You seem flustered, lady Winter."

"I was just wondering how you knew my name." I stammered out, wringing my fingers and looking at the tapestry again. "I asked yours at breakfast, but you knew my name without asking. How did you know something like that?"

It was such a strange contrast how his eyes stayed cold but his smirk became warmer, bordering on a smile.

"What did I tell you when you awoke?"

"You said that you see all, not that you know all." I pointed out.

"As your soulmate, I can see inside your dreams. As you can see inside of mine." He made a flourish with his hand and the crystal disappeared. I caught myself staring again in awe and shook my head to get a grip on myself.

"That's invasive."

"I suppose that depends on your definition of the word." He challenged, walking ahead of me again. I followed, my bare feet padding on the warm stone steps.

"The definition of 'invasive' is intruding on someone's privacy, which means without permission." I sassed him, speeding up to try and keep pace with him. While he was maybe a head taller than me at most, his stride was languid and long. I was almost jogging to try and not fall behind, which I couldn't help but notice was probably on purpose. His eyebrow twitched, but otherwise his face didn't change. Did that strike a nerve?

"And you think that a natural connection that formed the moment we made contact is defined as 'intrusive'? Your vocabulary differs greatly from mine." His voice was laced with sarcasm, and I couldn't help the stupid smile that ebbed it's way forward.

"Maybe we should take notes, learn one another's language. And perhaps a little more about one another, apart from that you are the walking definition of graceful and I'm a little too sarcastic for my own good?"

He slowed his pace, and his chin raised slightly in thought. I got the impression that he was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted to get it. I suppose being a king and everything would make a person a little more apt to self assurance. I knew he was a king on instinct... so that connection really did spread to me as well?

I glanced up, realizing that I had stopped walking while the thoughts overtook me. He was staring at me, one blue eye and one brown eye gazing out behind a clouded expression that I couldn't quite make out. I bit my lip, wanting so badly to throw out a hundred questions per minute but kept my mouth shut as tightly as I could.

A small goblin passed near us, a pan on his little head, and I pounced on the distraction shamelessly.

"Hey there, sweetheart. Where are you headed?" I asked him, and he bounced over to me, blinking up fearfully at Jareth. I smiled at him sweetly. "Can I take him back?"

"You don't need to ask. This is your home now." He said simply. I blushed, but nodded, and held out my hand for the small goblin. He hesitated, but grabbed onto it and broke out into a jog, pulling me with it. I grinned, skipping alongside it and feeling... content. For the first time in a while, I felt at peace with where I was.

Jareth's POV

I watched her padding away with the small goblin boy, a more recent addition to my subjects, and the view was spectacular. I flicked my wrist, gripping the crystal in my hand and glancing inside. The bridge inside was overlooking a lake, reflecting the moonlight on the surface of the water. Humans could not look into my crystals, infused with my magic, and not be drawn into them. Winter was continuing to astound me.

I brought out a second crystal and twirled them in my hand, turning and wandering to the window overlooking the small village. The goblins bustled about on their business, loud voices echoing off the stone and allowing me to listen to every conversation. My children of the Labyrinth, immortal and free from their chains, were starting to fade. My Labyrinth was dying, as slow a process as that was.

She passed the second test, to resist my magic. I found my mate when I had all but given up, and now I had to risk her to save my world.

Time is the cruelest of mistresses.


	3. Chapter 4

"What's this one?" I asked the goblin to my left, Blathela. He hopped about excitedly, pointing to the page I was pointing to.

"Was time before King. Was not alive then, miss. Goblins ruled goblins. When King come, he ruled absolute. He made fighting stop and protects us, miss."

I glanced at him,furrowing my brow in thought at this. "There was a time in this Labyrinth before Jareth?"

"Was, was. Was time of war and not good mother says. When King come, he make goblins bow to him. Goblins respect King's power. He remake home how he wanted home, and much power that takes."

I turned the page, drawing my fingers over the primitive drawings there. Goblins, it seemed, tended not to be the best artists, but there was essence in what they did with concentration. I had been here a week now, exploring this castle and wandering about the streets, my attention soon bringing me to the library. I couldn't understand most of what was written in there, but books from my realm were also splattered in between.

Goblins, it turned out, were eerily similar to people. It made sense, knowing that some of the goblins within the labyrinth were children themselves, but not all goblins used to be people. They were there own race, existing for thousands and thousands of years within this realm before Jareth came and took over, recreating this world to his own vision and ruling with complete autocracy. Some goblins were exceptionally brilliant, some were a little more on the... childish side. Some were very strong, others were great cooks, and others still were just content to wander about.

I wasn't completely sure how I felt about this revelation of the man that turned out to be my soulmate. On one hand, it was cruel and rather tyrannical of him. On the other hand, I was oddly at ease with the idea that this was the kind of person that he was. It was... odd.

Jareth...

When I first woke up, we were naked and curled into one another. He was so comfortable with himself no matter what the occasion, no matter how he was dressed or what he was doing. Now I found myself in rooms of my own, a wardrobe to myself, a whole amazing wing that I could explore endlessly and get lost in. Every day. It was a little embarrassing that he ended up having to come and find me every single day because I got lost in my own wing of the castle. It also felt so weird that I wanted to sleep in his bed so badly. Why did I want to get lost in him?

Because he's your soulmate.

"Miss?"

I jumped, glancing down at Blathela realizing that I had spaced out pretty bad.

"Sorry sweetheart. I didn't mean to go off in my own little world." I apologized, running my hand gently over his long ears and smiling. "Would you be okay if I went on a walk on my own?"

"Of course, miss. You be safe?" He cocked his head at me, worry in his large gold eyes. I couldn't fight the smile and hugged him.

"Of course sweetheart. You be safe too."

I waved him off, wandering out into the gardens. I loved the difference in visual out here. The goblin city was practically dead, void of much life. There wasn't enough skill to properly take care of what life there was, and now it was too far gone to ever truly come back naturally. These gardens were different, apparently almost identical to some of the woods outside of the city. There were odd floral assortments I had never seen and trees curving about in patterns that still astounded me a bit.

I sat down at the base of one of the trees, brushing my dress out so it didn't bunch awkwardly about me while I opened the book I had been reading in my free time. I really wanted my sketchbook, something familiar to do when I wasn't exploring. I wanted to put down what I saw on paper while I processed the world about me.

"You've come out here every day." A familiar voice made me jump. "My apologies." He chuckled. I grinned at the man leaning on the tree above me, seeming like he was reading over my shoulder.

"It's comfortable out here." I informed him, shutting the book and moving to stand. He held out a hand at his side, pulling me up shockingly close to him. I blushed, glancing to the side and brushing some hair out of my face. "What brings you out here?"

"You were absent for lunch. I had to make sure that I hadn't lost your interest so soon."

I blushed again, still getting used to his teasing me.

"I don't think that's possible." I admitted quietly, turning and looking at the courtyard, once again trying to put some sort of space between us just because I wasn't sure what to do with myself right now. "I lost track of time. It's oddly easy to do here."

"Something so easily fixed." He rested his gloved hand on my shoulder, bringing his other hand next to my face so I had no choice but to pay attention to his movements. He rotated his index finger counter-clockwise, the clock on the wall turning itself back. I smiled, leaning back into his chest and letting myself relax. He wrapped his arm around me instead, his chin resting on the back of my head.

I found myself enjoying the silence that usually followed us around. At first I was so unbearably overwhelmed by the questions, by the uncertainty. But he was right. Being connected internally somehow answered most of the questions that I couldn't phrase right. Not that I didn't still pester him with questions regardless, and not that we didn't bicker and talk still, but it was just comfortable at times to be silent after a point. I could almost feel the strings connecting us strengthen or weaken depending on the day, intertwining us.

He slid the other hand over my stomach, resting his palm over the material and smelling my hair.

"Jareth-"

"Sh." I shivered as his nose traced my ear, following the curve of my neck. I shivered at the feel of his lips connecting gently with my shoulder, suckling his way back up my flesh. I couldn't stop the noise that came out, whimpering at the vibration of his chuckle dancing on my skin.

"Miss!"

I jumped, jerking in Jareth's grip. I blushed furiously when he didn't stop his ministrations despite the three goblins that had come over to us. I pulled a little, and he just chuckled again.

"Miss, you missed lunch." The tallest one stated. I fidgeted, glaring out of the corner of my eye at him. Did he think this was a game?

"I'm sorry Melir, I lost track of time." I spoke through my teeth.

"Would you want us to make you something?" She wondered, edging away from us at the sight and looking nervous.

"No, thank you."

They bowed away and ran out of sight. I elbowed Jareth in the ribs lightly, glowering when he finally let go. My lecture died in my throat at him holding out what looked like a pear to me. I hesitated, but took it from him, looking into his eyes curiously.

"Don't miss dinner." He smirked at me, turning on his heel and taking his usual languid strides out of the gardens, disappearing behind brick. I rotated the fruit about in my hands, thinking over what just happened.

"What are you doing to me, Jareth?" I murmured, taking a small bite absently. Warm, sweet juice flowed down my throat. I blinked as a wave of dizziness nearly overwhelmed me, rubbing my eyes to clear out the sudden fog over my head. "What...?"

I blinked a few times, taking another bite from the pear to try and clear it out with the rotation of my jaw. Apparently I was going to need more sleep tonight...


	4. Chapter 5

I tossed and turned, groaning as I stared up at the ceiling. I could still feel Jareth's hands on me, his warm breath on my skin. I could feel his palms caressing my hips, his teeth on my neck, his tongue... I jumped when I felt one of my own hands crawling up my neck while the other wandered below the blanket, blushing and forcing myself up. What was happening to me? I was raised in a proper environment; I don't do this sort of thing!

I swallowed hard, slamming my head into the pillow and sighing. I swung my feet out from under the covers and pulled on the robe on the best post. The goblins had long since gone to sleep, and a few were nestled in the nooks and crannies around my wing, which was so different from the rest of this castle. I loved watching them sleep; they reminded me of children when they were awake, and asleep they tickled every maternal instinct in me.

Jareth wasn't in his room, which wasn't necessarily unusual, but he wasn't in the throne room either. I nibbled on my lip while I trailed light fingers over the stone throne, questioning my need to see him so desperately.

"You're out late." He murmured next to my ear, and laughed when I jumped a foot in the air.

"Jareth!" I whipped around and swallowed. "I didn't see you."

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" He wondered, clasping his hands behind him and pacing around me. I blushed, having to stop myself from pulling my robe closer to my body just to have something between him and I. A smile danced across his eyes, thin lips curving a moment later, and my heart was soaring.

"I couldn't sleep." I breathed, turning my head to catch his eyes and keep him in my sights.

"So you thought you might come and find a conversational companion?" He teased me, breath tickling my ear as he circled ever closer. "Or perhaps you want me to warm your bed tonight?"

"You are insufferable." I huffed at him, and we both knew my heart wasn't in it. His nose traced the vein on my neck, tracing it upward to catch the side of my jaw, and I allowed his hands to come around my waist.

"We were interrupted this afternoon; I couldn't help but notice how much you were enjoying yourself. Would you like me to continue?"

"That's a loaded question." I breathed, gripping at his large hands for something to ground me. Ever touch was so intense, like I could feel for both of us. Every breath tickled my skin, every soft breath from my lips echoed across the room. Was this what it meant to truly bond with a soulmate? "Jareth-"

"You're in pain, Winter. Let me take care of you."

The ache between my legs flared, and I swallowed hard, pulling away from him.

"I... I can't. I'm sorry." I flushed, rubbing my shoulder. "It's not that... I mean, I want to, but..."

He sighed, pulling me back once more in his chest and resting his chin on my head.

"You aren't ready." He finished quietly. I nodded, and he played with a strand of my hair, twirling it between his fingers. "You don't have to be afraid, Winter. I'm disappointed, but I'm not angry with you."

"You're disappointed in me." I felt my heart fracturing at those words.

"In that I wish for physical intimacy and am unable to give that to you." He corrected. "I would never force you before you are ready. I'm not a monster, Winter."

"I love when you say my name." The words came out before I registered them, and I felt my body heat up. "I'm sorry, that was weird of me. I just meant that, you know, I..."

He chuckled somewhere low in his chest, and I shivered at the feeling. "Something so small brings such joy to your heart. It hasn't failed yet to astound me."

"I don't need you to turn the world upside down to make me happy." I turned to face him, holding his cheek. "In the time I've been here, I've experienced more joy than all of my eighteen years combined. I didn't even realize there was anything missing inside of me until I met you."

He caught my hand, pulling it from his face, and I was terrified at the pained look that flitted across his eyes. I could _feel_ his emotions tossing and turning inside of him, his confliction and his agony. I wanted to rip it out from him and throw it as far as I could, and that feeling scared me a little too. This was too soon to fall in love, too soon to desire so deeply.

Wasn't it?

"Let's compromise." He whispered, pressing his forehead into mine and closing his eyes. I shared his breath, my stomach churning at needing to be closer.

"Compromise what?"

"Let me share your bed tonight."

I flushed, but nodded to him. I squealed in delight when he lifted me in his arms, and was almost disappointed when he had to put me down on the bed. I couldn't breathe when he crawled over me, his hands fluttering around my ribcage.

"Tell me when you need me to stop." He murmured, flicking his tongue out to meet my bottom lip. I parted for him, moaning at the feel of those large, graceful hands cupping at my chest. It made me arch into him when he kissed down to where my cleavage was, and I felt humiliation in the most thrilling sense when he pulled at the fabric separating his hands from my flesh and kneaded my breasts like we had been lovers for years.

I had never felt so desired before. True, I was aware of the eyes that had raked over my body during my years of puberty, but it was all about my curved and a pretty face to go with them. Jareth made me feel desired because I was Winter, the person lying before him who had been his guest for lack of a better word during the last week or so since he had pulled me from the water. He made me feel like I was more than a body, more than a stepping stone for an arranged marriage. More than a fertile woman to carry a child.

Jareth made me feel... like I was the center of his universe in this moment. Like nothing was more important than to make me feel pleasure in every little thing that wicked tongue was doing to me.

The mixture of appreciation and disappointment was overwhelming when he pulled me towards his chest, pulling my gown back up like a gentleman and wrapping us in the duvet. He must have felt it, because he smoothed my hair away from my face.

"In time." He reassured me, and it didn't escape my notice that his breathing began to slow down and synchronize to mine as my vision began to fade, the only sound in my world becoming the steady beat of his heart in that firm, warm chest.


	5. Chapter 6

I tossed and turned, groaning as I stared up at the ceiling. I could still feel Jareth's hands on me, his warm breath on my skin. I could feel his palms caressing my hips, his teeth on my neck, his tongue... I jumped when I felt one of my own hands crawling up my neck while the other wandered below the blanket, blushing and forcing myself up. What was happening to me? I was raised in a proper environment; I don't do this sort of thing!

I swallowed hard, slamming my head into the pillow and sighing. I swung my feet out from under the covers and pulled on the robe on the best post. The goblins had long since gone to sleep, and a few were nestled in the nooks and crannies around my wing, which was so different from the rest of this castle. I loved watching them sleep; they reminded me of children when they were awake, and asleep they tickled every maternal instinct in me.

Jareth wasn't in his room, which wasn't necessarily unusual, but he wasn't in the throne room either. I nibbled on my lip while I trailed light fingers over the stone throne, questioning my need to see him so desperately.

"You're out late." He murmured next to my ear, and laughed when I jumped a foot in the air.

"Jareth!" I whipped around and swallowed. "I didn't see you."

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" He wondered, clasping his hands behind him and pacing around me. I blushed, having to stop myself from pulling my robe closer to my body just to have something between him and I. A smile danced across his eyes, thin lips curving a moment later, and my heart was soaring.

"I couldn't sleep." I breathed, turning my head to catch his eyes and keep him in my sights.

"So you thought you might come and find a conversational companion?" He teased me, breath tickling my ear as he circled ever closer. "Or perhaps you want me to warm your bed tonight?"

"You are insufferable." I huffed at him, and we both knew my heart wasn't in it. His nose traced the vein on my neck, tracing it upward to catch the side of my jaw, and I allowed his hands to come around my waist.

"We were interrupted this afternoon. I couldn't help but notice how much you were enjoying yourself; would you like me to continue?"

"That's a loaded question." I breathed, gripping at his large hands for something to ground me. Every touch was so intense, like I could feel for both of us. Every breath tickled my skin, every soft breath from my lips echoed across the room. Was this what it meant to truly bond with a soulmate? "Jareth-"

"You're in pain, Winter. Let me take care of you."

The ache between my legs flared, and I swallowed hard, pulling away from him.

"I... I can't. I'm sorry." I flushed, rubbing my shoulder. "It's not that... I mean, I want to, but..."

He sighed, pulling me back once more in his chest and resting his chin on my head.

"You aren't ready." He finished quietly. I nodded, and he played with a strand of my hair, twirling it between his fingers. "You don't have to be afraid, Winter. I'm disappointed, but I'm not angry with you."

"You're disappointed in me." I felt my heart fracturing at those words.

"In that I wish for physical intimacy and am unable to give that to you." He corrected. "I would never force you before you are ready. I'm not a monster, Winter."

"I love when you say my name." The words came out before I registered them, and I felt my body heat up. "I'm sorry, that was weird of me. I just meant that, you know, I..."

He chuckled somewhere low in his chest, and I shivered at the feeling. "Something so small brings such joy to your heart. It hasn't failed yet to astound me."

"I don't need you to turn the world upside down to make me happy." I turned to face him, holding his cheek. "In the time I've been here, I've experienced more joy than all of my eighteen years combined. I didn't even realize there was anything missing inside of me until I met you."

He caught my hand, pulling it from his face, and I was terrified at the pained look that flitted across his eyes. I could _feel_ his emotions tossing and turning inside of him, his confliction and his agony. I wanted to rip it out from him and throw it as far as I could, and that feeling scared me a little too. This was too soon to fall in love, too soon to desire so deeply.

Wasn't it?

"Let's compromise." He whispered, pressing his forehead into mine and closing his eyes. I shared his breath, my stomach churning at needing to be closer.

"Compromise what?"

"Let me share your bed tonight."

I flushed, but nodded to him. I squealed in delight when he lifted me in his arms, and was almost disappointed when he had to put me down on the bed. I couldn't breathe when he crawled over me, his hands fluttering around my ribcage.

"Tell me when you need me to stop." He murmured, flicking his tongue out to meet my bottom lip. I parted for him, moaning at the feel of those large, graceful hands cupping at my chest. It made me arch into him when he kissed down to the neckline of my nightgown, and I felt humiliation in the most thrilling sense when he pulled at the fabric separating his hands from my flesh and kneaded my breasts like we had been lovers for years.

I had never felt so desired before. True, I was aware of the eyes that had raked over my body during my years of puberty, but it was all about my curves and a pretty face to go with them. Jareth made me feel desired because I was Winter, the person lying before him who had been his 'guest' for lack of a better word during the last week or so since he had pulled me from the water. He made me feel like I was more than a body, more than a stepping stone for an arranged marriage. More than a fertile woman able to carry a child.

Jareth made me feel... like I was the center of his universe in this moment. Like nothing was more important than to make me feel pleasure in every little thing that wicked tongue was doing to me.

The mixture of appreciation and disappointment was overwhelming when he pulled me towards his chest, pulling my gown back up like a gentleman and wrapping us in the duvet. He must have felt it, because he smoothed my hair away from my face.

"In time." He reassured me, and it didn't escape my notice that his breathing began to slow down and synchronize to mine as my vision began to fade, the only sound in my world becoming the steady beat of his heart in that firm, warm chest.


	6. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! Here is the next installment of Missing Love! This is a bit of a melancholy chapter, but I promise things will be be looking up soon! Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

I thought I was dying.

My stomach churned and boiled, and I didn't think it was possible for a person to throw up so many times in one day. Was this what pregnancy was going to be like one day? Blathela did his best to keep my company, tried to scoop my hair out of my face, and it was increasingly difficult not to snap at him despite how much I appreciated his efforts.

It had been a few days since this... sickness... had set in. I wasn't sure what I had eaten, or if I had caught something that the goblins and Jareth were immune to, but it was starting to hurt to breathe.

Jareth came by each day to bring me food, to sit with me, but he was always gone when I woke up, and I was left with a feeling of emptiness. Why was that?

"You need to drink some water."

"Speak of the devil." I murmured, leaning back from the toilet and wiping the sweat from my brow.

"I'm sorry?"

"I was thinking about you and you showed up. It's an idiom."

"The first time I heard that turn of phrase, like most people learning a new language, I thought I was being called an idiot." He informed me, sitting next to me and handing me a glass of water. "I did not take it well."

"What happened to the poor soul?" I took a sip, covering my mouth as I gargled and spit it out before taking a real, true sip to quench the burning, aching sensation in my throat.

He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back at him despite feeling like this. I knew whatever happened that it was terrible, but something about him, something about his penchant for mischief and his genuine love of all things devious made me feel better. Made me smile.

"You know, you always smile when you're thinking of me." He teased me, that self-righteous smirk making me hit his arm playfully. "Come eat something. Rest."

"I hate that I feel like this so often nowadays." I murmured, letting him help me up and reveling in the warmth radiating off his skin. "I feel like I'm dying."

He didn't say anything as he made me eat some bread, drink a little more water, and put me to bed. He just sat by me and pet my hair, humming a tune so familiar to me. It sounded like the song he had sung when we first met on the bridge, but so incredibly different at the same time. I found myself humming along despite not knowing the words, the music flowing between us like electricity. The soothing tingle along my skin helped me slip into much needed sleep.

Jareth's POV

The pull was magnetic, too enticing and far too near to truly resist. Just being near her fulfilled a primal need in my chest, one I hadn't felt in a lifetime. One I thought I could achieve with her, with Sarah.

I closed my eyes against those memories, those fiery green eyes that had burned their mark into my soul, into every piece of my existence. I saw her everywhere, in everything. In every hall of my castle, in every goblin that I interacted with on a daily basis. In Winter's brown hair, her love for the clothes of the renaissance time period and the genuine, true love that fueled everything that she did. The only thing that didn't bring her to mind were those piercing, sapphire blue eyes that never seemed to have an end. Where Sarah was fire, Winter was water. Where Sarah found every reason to express her displeasure, Winter wanted to appreciate the life around her, to learn why things existed. In Winter's eyes, I could see the universe in every way that we could make it together.

I shook my head from those silly thoughts, steeling myself once more. I brought my hand to her forehead, easing her spirit, and drawing out the energy behind her eyes. Once I used creativity to fuel another being. Now I needed to use energy to fuel my home.

The delicate light flowed like water from her, causing her to grow pale in response to my actions. Sweat continued to bead her skin, and her lips trembled in a small whimper. Her pain lashed out at me, an angry red scar that was forming in our connection. It was necessary, and it struck deep within my soul to know that it needed to be done.

I trapped my takings in one of my crystals, pressing my lips to her forehead despite myself and tucking her in further. My children of the labyrinth gazed up at me in trepidation as I stalked through the halls, down through the dungeons, into the room I kept locked under my magic. The bare room flickered in and out of clarity, my magic the sole reason for its existence. I waved away the ringlets of thick, physical smoke that surrounded the small table in the center of the room. The blue flame resting inches above the surface of the table filled the room with a cold, familiar feeling. Lifelessness.

Standing in front of the table, I opened my palm and summoned the red flames that made up my Winter, her beautiful soul. I blew on them, watching the colors intertwine, the colors burning and growing together, and it broke my damned heart. The flames danced together, bringing heat and light to the room, and I felt my direct link to my labyrinth and all of the life within it grow stronger, almost vibrant. It was... intense. I hadn't felt like this since I had first experimented with my power, growing and moulding it, nurturing it. It had been so long since I had wanted to do it for someone else. And now I was going to lose her to my own selfish desires, another pawn sacrificed in the grand scheme of my games. Because of deals made long ago, because of my own nature.

I sighed, leaning against the table and hanging my head.

This was the only way.


	7. Chapter 8

I trailed my fingers over the tapestry in front of me for the thousandth time, pulling the sheet closer to me and shivering. Blathela, Cattie, and Leal were overbearing, fussing over me every other minute. It was amazing to have one single moment to myself.

I couldn't shake the feeling in my gut, this pulling sensation that made me afraid to fall asleep. I wasn't sure what to do about it, and Jareth had been absent the last two days. I felt strong enough to wander around after a few days of rest, but I had also become reliant on his presence to sleep as of late. He was anxious, distant. I could feel it, but it didn't seem like there was anything I could do.

Something warm was glowing under my feet, making me jump. I frowned, kneeling down and touching the stone. It was cool, like the entire structure of this building was, but in the center of my palm there was something I could only describe as heat.

I made my way down the stairs, following this feeling im my gut. It wasn't something that I could explain to the goblins along the way that wanted my attention, and I felt guilt at brushing them off, but I needed to figure out what this was. My curiosity was eating me up.

But there was nothing.

I had gotten down below the castle, through a trapdoor underneath the carpet in front of Jareth's throne. I was confused how Jareth had gotten through because it was a tight fit for ME, and now there was nothing. Just open space with what I could only describe as power flowing around me. Mist was billowing around me, like thickened fog that I could barely see through. I touched the walls, moving to pull my blanket closer and frowning when it wasn't there. When had I abandoned it?

I felt strong, like seven days of sickness were washing away from me. I sighed, twisting and turning in this empty room in frustration and running my hands over every piece of surface I could find to try and find some sort of hidden room or something to explain where this feeling was coming from.

"You don't need to search anymore."

I jumped to my feet, whirling around to find Jareth leaning against one of the walls and staring at me with his discolored eyes. I could see his walls around him, building up and walling himself within them.

"What's going on?" I took a step toward him, faltering when he raised his hand to keep me away.

"When I took over this place, I erected this labyrinth to keep the creatures within safe, and to maintain my defense for when souls accepted my challenge. The labyrinth is an extension of myself, and it is dying."

My extremities were cold, the burning ice in my fingertips and toes numbing me from the outside in.

"You're dying?"

"My power." He corrected, pushing himself off the stone and moving past me without touching me. I didn't try to hide the hurt that blossomed in my chest. If he noticed, he said nothing, just waved his hand and the fog dissipated, revealing an old table in the center of the room. I frowned, coming closer to him and looking at the burning flame resting on top of that table. I winced, and pulled back when a burst of color sent me shivering back to the floor. The flame was pulling at me, lashing out and trying to drag me into it.

"You see," He didn't look at me, just rested his hands on the table and leaned over the flame like he was entranced. "My labyrinth is fueled by me, by my essence. You were not the first girl I brought to this place, simply the first I did not demand anything from to remain here."

"I don't understand." The lump in my throat was heavy, dry. Other girls? What did he mean I wasn't the first? We were made to be together, our souls intertwined. Why would he go searching for other people?

"I have been alive for longer than you can begin to understand, and in that span of time I have felt the pull of loneliness. Your existence has been small, fulfilled. Mine has been alone. I sought out someone who could fill that space in my heart, and in my searches I found several who stole my fancy. The last, Sarah, she was the one I desired to be my queen. Her creativity, her raw power, captivated me. She became my entire world in the short years I watched her and awaited her to call me. And when she rejected me, she stole part of me with her to your world."

I hesitated, and stood up. My body was shaking, and the hot sting behind my eyes blurred my vision. I swallowed down that dryness, trying to find something to say.

"You are my soulmate, Winter, and I acknowledge this, but my power will always remain my first priority. You are the key that could cure the sickness ailing this place. You alone could bring life back to the rotting cesspool it is slowly deteriorating into."

"Then why did you let me into this room? You aren't going to hurt me." My voice came out more confident that I thought I could have felt as the tiniest prick of anger swelled around my heartbreak, trying to protect me from this... this betrayal.

"I've hurt you so many times."

"What do you want? Why am I down here?" I demanded. "So you can continue your campaign of loneliness? So you can continue to shut everyone else out and try to protect the broken pieces?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about." He hissed, whipping on me with a growing fury in his eyes. I matched his gaze, shocking us both, and jutted my jaw out.

"I know what it means to hide yourself away like you have with this labyrinth. I know the weight of expectation and how freeing it is to live in loneliness rather than deal with anyone who may hurt you again. But you built your entire life inside these walls, Jareth. You don't let anyone get close because you're afraid."

"And what do I have to be afraid of? A small human girl who holds no power of her own?" He taunted, invading my space. I swallowed, feeling my fire sizzle down. He was so alone. He couldn't break his walls or take risks because of how he had lived his life for so long. How could someone like that ever let me in?

"Because you're afraid of letting me help you put yourself back together." I murmured, stepping closer to him. "You're afraid because I love you despite these walls and despite the challenge to make you see yourself as anything other than a god who is falling from grace. You don't want me to see who you really are because you're questioning yourself. And you're afraid because you know I can help you."

He glowered at me, backing away from me even as I could feel his fury wrapping him up like some higher protector. I swallowed, looking at the flame and making an impulse decision that I wasn't sure was going to end well for me.

"Put me in your labyrinth. Let me solve it."

His brow met his hairline, and he gave a sardonic laugh. "And what would you wager?"

"My life."

Silence. You could cut it with a knife. I felt deaf as he stared at me. I could feel him pulling away, our bond trapping him to me in a way that was so intimate and familiar that I pulled courage from it.

"If I solve your labyrinth, you let me in. If I don't, you use me as you need to in order to save this labyrinth. I won't fight, I won't argue." I promised.

"You would risk everything for a bond you didn't know existed only weeks ago?" He whispered, that brown eye softening around the edges. I swallowed, nodding and wringing my hands.

"I would risk anything for you, and that terrifies me." I confessed, my breath hitching. "But I know I can do this. And I know we could be amazing together."

He sighed, examining the flame again before looking up at me once more, understanding that he wasn't going to change my mind. I saw, for the first time, respect within his eyes.

"Very well, Winter. You have thirteen hours to solve my labyrinth, or your life is forfeit. I hope you know what you're doing."


End file.
